James Tindall Soutter

The Reverend Soutter was the Minister at Whitekirk. In 1912 he won a bronze Olympic Medal for the 4 X 400m relay in Stockholm also competing in the 800m and individual 400m.

He was born in Echt, Aberdeenshire and was a Graduate of Aberdeen University. In 1913 he was appointed Minister of St Andrews Church in Nairobi. He saw war service as a Chaplin in East Africa and France between 1914 to 1917.  He returned to Scotland in 1917 to become the Minister at Whitekirk. He retired from Whitekirk Church in 1949, taking up a temporary post in 1951 in Advie, Morayshire, remaining there until 1955 where he retired to Edinburgh.

Along with other newspapers, The Aberdeen Evening Express, 8th October 1959 reported on the disappearance of 74 year old Rev Soutter for 2 months from his home 17 Howe Street, Edinburgh, having gone for a walk while his wife was seriously ill in a nursing home. Police described him as 5 ft 4 tall and slightly built.

He had taken his passport and his wife Freda suggested he may have gone to France or Germany.

He was declared dead in 1966.